GEARBOX
Shift Vertex 1-Piece Leather Suit
Author: Nick Desautels / photos by Redline Photo. AMA shots courtesy of Shift Racing
Protection worthy of the AMA
 If you absolutely knew that today’s ride was going to end in a violent crash and could do nothing to prevent it from happening, you’d spare no expense in choosing the gear that would give you the best chance of survival, right? The problem is that while most racetrack riders expect they’ll crash at some point, few of them are actually willing to admit that they might eventually be staring down the big one. On the other hand, your average AMA privateer has probably already had the big one; maybe more than once. At the pro level, riders know full well that it can happen to you and then happen to you again. When these aspiring stars buy leathers, they don’t cut corners, since a cheap suit could easily contribute to an early retirement. It says a lot then  that many privateers, when faced with spending their own hard earned money on a leather suit, choose the Shift Vertex. It’s also noteworthy that Nick Ienatsch and Ken Hill, both longtime racers, former Spencer School instructors and esteemed motojournalists, have chosen the Shift Vertex to protect them while teaching the riding clinic they offer through Buell and Sportbike Track Time. These two have survived our sport long enough to be considered among the best riding coaches on the planet and certainly wouldn’t risk their venerable hides in substandard gear.
The $1199.95 Shift Vertex 1-piece leather suit is by no means inexpensive. In this price range, a set of leathers had better be exceptionally protective and damn near bulletproof. In competition, the Vertex has proven to be all that. One racer we’ve talked to has crashed in his Vertex suit five times and although it has required some minor repairs, he’s still wearing it. Construction details are top flight, including 1.2 to 1.4 mm premium grade cowhide leather, double leather and extra padding in key impact areas, accordion leather and Schoeller stretch Kevlar to provide comfort and ease of movement, a speed hump, an integrated pouch to hold a back protector, removable/washable mesh liner, molded shoulder armor with air vents and perforated panels throughout the suit.
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